9 Jonathan Gets Better, and Lucy, Worse

CHAPTER 9 Jonathan Gets Better, and Lucy, Worse How bittersweet! And yet, also, what sadness. Mina had finally heard some word about Jonathan, in the form of a note from Mr. Hawkins, Jonathan's boss. According to the note, Jonathan had been ill in a hospital in Budapest for the past six weeks. Unable to communicate clearly, he had been suffering from some sort of brain fever, raving about wolves and poison and

blood, about ghosts and demons. The nurses had not known quite what to make of it, but they were patient with him, and nursed him back to health. Mina left for Budapest at once. When she arrived at the hospital and saw her fiancé, she almost gasped. Jonathan was incredibly weak and pale. "Oh, Mina," he said, starting to cry. "If you will still marry me, we can have no secrets between us. I cannot really remember what happened to me before I arrived here, but I know that I must have written about it in my journal. The nurses tell me they found it on me when I arrived." Handing her the tiny book, Jonathan said, "My secrets are contained between this book's covers. Read it if and when you must." Mina took the book and put it away without opening it. She agreed to marry

Jonathan and they had the ceremony that very day, with him still in his hospital bed. They had wasted enough time! Meanwhile, back in London, where Lucy had returned when Mina had left Whitby for Budapest, Lucy continued to suffer from the strange dreams that had haunted her at Whitby. She could never really remember the details, but always woke up full of fear. Her face was growing ever more ghostly pale, and her throat hurt more and more each day. Arthur Holmwood, Lucy's fiancé, was very concerned and asked his friend Dr. John Seward to come for lunch to see what he thought. "Don't tell her why you are here," Arthur asked. John Seward could see that Lucy was very much altered. He told Arthur that he would like to write to his old friend and teacher, the great doctor and professor Van Helsing of Amsterdam. He knew more about unusual

diseases than anyone else in the world. Arthur agreed, and Professor Van Helsing came. He seemed concerned but would not yet say why. Rather, he asked for some time to think about Lucy's case. In the meantime he asked Dr. Seward to keep careful watch over Lucy and record every detail, however small. Lucy continued to get worse. When Van Helsing saw her next, she was ghastly pale, with practically no red remaining in her lips and gums. Van Helsing frowned and pulled Dr. Seward into the hallway. "We must give her a blood transfusion at once!" he cried. Arthur volunteered to donate the blood and, within minutes, life returned to Lucy's cheeks. She sighed and moved her head slightly. The collar of her nightdress moved to reveal the red marks on her throat. Seeing the marks, Van Helsing inhaled so quickly that his breath sounded like a hiss.

Arthur didn't notice, but Dr. Seward did. He waited until he was alone with Van Helsing to ask, "What do you make of those marks on her throat?" "I am not ready to answer just yet," Van Helsing said. "I must go back to Amsterdam tonight and consult my books. You must remain here all night and not let her out of your sight." He grabbed Seward's arm. "I mean it. You must not sleep. I will be back soon, and then we can begin." "Begin what?" "You shall see." The men agreed not to tell Arthur too much, so as not to cause him more worry. After all, they were doctors, better prepared for such matters. As instructed, Dr. Seward watched over Lucy that night and the next. Relieved by the doctor's presence, she slept like a baby. Between the blood transfusion and the rest, she was looking as good as new

after only two days. Poor Dr. Seward, however, was a different story. On the third day Lucy took his hand. "No sitting up tonight for you. You look horrible, completely worn out. And as you can see, I am quite well again." Dr. Seward hesitated, but he was so tired, and Lucy promised she would sleep in the room just next door to his with the door open so that he could hear her if she needed anything. Dr. Seward was shaken awake the next morning by a frowning Van Helsing. "How is our patient?" he asked. "She was fine last night," Dr. Seward said. The two men went to check on her. Pulling open the blinds in the next room, both drew back to see Lucy more horribly white and weak looking than she had been two days earlier. She seemed to have barely a drop of blood left in her body.